The present invention relates to a motor vehicle having an engine and an automatic transmission drivingly connected to the engine and more particularly to an engine control during a gear shifting after an accelerator has been released.
A so-called fuel-cut operation at deceleration is a well known measure for reduced emission of HC (hydrocarbon) and fuel consumption. According to a known control for such fuel-cut operation at deceleration, the fuel-cut operation is executed after an accelerator pedal has been released under predetermined vehicle speed and engine speed conditions. During the fuel-cut operation, cylinder injection of fuel by some of fuel injectors is suspended. In an automatic transmission, an upshift in gear position is initiated after the accelerator has been released. Thus, there can occur a situation where the fuel-cut operation is executed during the shift after the accelerator has been released when the predetermined vehicle speed and engine conditions are satisfied and another situation where the fuel-cut operation is not executed during the shift of the same kind after the accelerator pedal has been released when the predetermined conditions are not satisfied. In the former case, the engine speed drops quickly, while in the latter case, the engine speed drops less quickly. This difference in change in engine speed after the accelerator has been released causes difficulty in reducing a variability in shift shock taking place during the shift of the same kind.
An object of the present invention is to provide an appropriate engine control without causing any substantial variability in shift shock during a shift in gear position initiated after an accelerator has been released.